'Let's Make a Deal' PCH giveaways angers sweepstakes fans

PCH says "Let's Make a Deal" but their fans are complaining the deal isn't fair.

PCH.com

Just because Publishers Clearing House “PCH” is on the Let's Make a Deal show all this week giving away money to people who did not enter their sweepstakes according to the Winston-Salem Journal on Jan. 9, does not mean you can’t still win prizes they are advertising. But tell that to their most devoted Facebook fans, who took to the Internet to post their displeasure on the PCH Facebook page.

I don’t understand something. How is it that the WINNER is not at HOME but on TELEVISION, what is WRONG here?” Isaac Soriano wrote.

I think it’s really crappy when you sent in or did all their loops they put you through, and you never win. But be a contestant on a game show and pch gives you monies.”

A Georgia Publishers Clearing House fan named Paulette Lawson didn’t take issue with the sweepstakes’ elite prize patrol team being on a game show to award prizes, but she would have liked to have had more information about how to watch it, posting this question:

WHAT CHANNEL IN GEORGIA? AND WHAT TIME? Can not (sic) find it.”

Victoria Sullivan Laws wanted to know why PCH “does not give more prizes to the people playing for up to 30 years plus?” She said the Let’s Make a Deal contestants already have chances to win money, just by being a contestant on the show. But what about those who play at Publishers Clearing House every day?

A valid question, especially since PCH promised late last year that their fans could expect lots of “Super Prizes” to be awarded in 2014, but as of Jan. 9 they had only awarded $20,000 to several Let’s Make a Deal contestants instead, like Lori Headrick. But a post made by prize patrol team member Danielle Lam on Jan. 8 states that the sweepstakes company is about to award their first prize this year to a faithful fan in the amount of—wait for it: $10,000.

Publishers Clearing House began advertising big check giveaway amounts to their faithful sweepstakes followers last year, like the $75,000 giveaway for use toward a dream kitchen, or the $100,000 cash giveaway to pay off your debts. And there are about 20 more big cash prizes up for grabs right now on their PCH.com website, including the money to buy a new fully-loaded F150 truck. And then there is their $3 million cash giveaway towards a dream home still waiting to be awarded. (Take that HGTV)

And yes, they are also still planning to give away a $1 million-a-year forever prize to be awarded on Feb. 28. (The only sweepstakes winning date provided by the company in advance other than the one Lam just posted). But the sweepstakes company is kicking it all off with a mere $10,000 prize to be delivered on Jan. 14, after having given $20,000 to several contestants on a game show, who did not enter to win. And that’s what is angering some of their fans.

But not Lori Headrick, one of the game show contestants who played in "Big Money Week" last August, when the shows were actually filmed. Headrick thinks her $20,000 win from Publishers Clearing House was "just surreal" and she is looking forward to finally getting her hands on the prize money, which was not given to her or the other contestants until the shows aired this week.

For the skeptics among us, and those curious folks who just want to know if anyone really wins the prizes advertised, stay tuned for a breakdown of who wins what this year from Publishers Clearing House. We promise to keep you informed about all the PCH prizes available to win this year—and to report the names of the winners as they occur.

We definitely believe in shining a light on false advertisements and scams, usually doing so under the Atlanta Crime Examiner column, so innocent people don't get their hopes up unnecessarily, and they don't get ripped off. But we also believe in proving when the claims about false advertising are not true, too. So stay tuned to learn who wins that dream home money and all the other loot giveaways with a March 31 deadline entry date on PCH.

And if you didn't catch Lori Headrick on Let's Make a Deal this week getting her $20,000 Publishers Clearing House "big check" prize, just know that she didn't really walk away with that money in August when the show was filmed. Instead, she is getting it this week.